China student stands trial for murder

XI'AN, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A university student went on trial Wednesday for murdering a young mother after accidentally running into her with his car last year, said court officials in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Yao Jiaxin, a 21-year-old student at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music, knocked down cyclist Zhang Miao while driving his Chevrolet Cruze at around 11 p.m. on Oct. 20.

When Yao saw Zhang staring at him and his number plate, he stabbed her to death, police said.

The Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an heard the case Wednesday. The court session began at 9:45 a.m. and lasted more than three hours.

Family members of Zhang, the victim, demanded the death penalty for Yao and 536,000 yuan (about 81,686 U.S. dollars) in compensation from his parents.

During the trial, Yao's lawyer pleaded for leniency, saying Yao had "surrendered himself to police and depression was to blame, to some extent, for the killing."

But the lawyer's plea was dismissed by prosecutors, saying Yao did not deserve leniency as he had fled the scene and failed to confess to murder until three days later.

Court authorities said a ruling would be announced at a later date.

Yao fled the scene after stabbing the victim eight times with a knife, and in a hurry to drive away, he injured two other passersby, a man and a woman, police said.